Improvement in trunk-locks



T. L. RIVERS.

Trunk-Locks.

No. 140,308, Patented1une24,1873.

- AM. Pnom-umasRAPn/c ca MK (useamsls moans) UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRUNK-LOCKS.

' Spe cification forming part of Letters Patent No.

140,308, dated June 24, 1873; application filed March 27, 1873.

To all whom it vita-y. concern:-

Be it known that I, Tnonms L. RIVERS, of the city of Newark, in thecounty of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Trunk- Locks, of which the following is aspecification:

My invention consists in combining a recessed lid-plate having a guideor guard, and carrying alatch which vibrates in a line at right anglesto the face-line of the plate, with a recessed body-plate, which isprovided with a keeper arranged for engaging with an eye in the latch,and from which the latch may be disengaged by means of a key orequivalent device; and also in combining with the lockplate alongitudinally-curved latch composed of spring metal, and in arrangingthe free end of the latch adjacent to coincident bearing surfaces on theplate so that undue strain on the latch will slightly elongate it andcause the end of the latch to bear against the coin;

cident surfaces on the plate.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a lock embodying myinvention attached to the body and lid of a trunk as if closed andlocked. Fig. 2 represents, in front view, the lock detached from thetrunk and the two parts separated. Fig. 3 represents the same in rearview. Fig. 4 represents the same in cross-vertical section. Fig. 5represents a modification of my lock. Fig. 6 represents a top view ofthe body-plate, and a horizontal sectional view of the guide of thelid-plate. Fig. 7 represents a key fitted to operate a lock constructedas shown.

A denotes the lid-plate, and B the bodyplate of the lock-case. They arechambered face-plates, as shown in the drawings, and are fitted to beattached to the outside front of the trunk by rivets. The lid-plate isprovided with a downward-projecting guide, a, which is fitted to freelyenter and closely fill an opening, b, in the body-plate B. Within thechamber of the lidplate the spring-latch l is fitted so that its loweror free end can vibrate from front to rear in the lock-case. Thespring-latch is riveted at its upper end to the plate. The rivet-studmay practically be cast with the plate, and thereby obviate thenecessity of using separate rivets, as ordinarily applied.

The spring-latch is longitudinally curved, and at its lower end is alsocurved and fitted so as .to fully occupy the interior of the guide a atvborne by the contact of the end of the latch with the interior adjacentsurfaces of the guide it instead of being wholly bythe rivet, by meansof which it is attached to the plate. Near the lower end of the latch isthe eye d for receiving the keeper.

In locks such as are illustrated in Fig.5the latch e is composed ofmetal which does not possess any inherent spring functions. It isprovided with engaging-shoulders for securely connecting with thelid-plate, and may have extensive shoulders for engaging with one ormore fixed keepers on the body-plate. A separate sprin g, f, isrequisite, when so constructed, for properly actuating the latch. Thisspring f may be riveted directly to the back of the latch, as shown, andarranged to bear against the side of the trunk or valance, or againstthe under side of a cross-plate bridging the chamber. As the lock-caseswill, when cast, generally be composed of some malleable metal, certainprojections can readily be provided in the interior, which can be bentover, for holding the latch in place, prior to its being applied to atrunk in the way of its use.

The body-plate B of the case is provided with a keeper, 9, cast with theplate, projecting inward from the center of the chamber, and arranged toenter and engage with the eye at of the latch. The body-plate B is alsoprovided with a key-hole, which is guarded on one side, as at It, so asto admit of the movement of the key in but one direction. Between thekeeper 9 and the key-hole is a stop, h, which limits the movement of thekey. On the front side of the lower end of the guide a a semicircularguard, "i, is placed equidistant on all sides from the center of thebarrel of the key-hole, and the key is so fitted that it must pass theguard, as in the case of locks generally, before the exposed portion ofthe latch can be reached.

I am well aware that key slots and guards in great variety may beadopted from the many Well-known lock-systems in general use, andthereby give to my look any desired degree f butt of the key, and thenagain on a line par-.

allel with the first extension. On the rear side of the bit of. the keyis a rounded projection. \Vhen inserted into the keyhole, and turnedtherein, the recess between the bit of the key and the stock is filledby the tubular wall of the key-hole on that side, and the end of thebit, avoiding the guard 13, is so pressed between the rear surface ofthe body-plate and the end of the spring-latch that the latter ispressed to the rear and disengaged from the keeper.

In fitting the lid-plate to a trunk, it will be preferable that theprojecting flange It be cut away flush with the main rear surface of theplate, of a width corresponding with that of the valance l of the trunk,so that strain on the plate will be at least partially borne by the edgeof the valance.

It will be readily obvious that the springlatch, in being inclosed bythe guide a, is at all times effectually protected against being bent orotherwise injured While the trunk is open or in the act of closing. Byinclosing the spring-latch in the guide, and thereby securing itsaccurate entrance to its chamber, the automatic locking device may becombined in one plate and the key-hole and its system of guards in theother plate, and thus produce an effective and durable lock at extremelylow cost.

The system of key-guards may be made quite complicated, and yet becapable of being cast ready for use Without the application of skilledlabor. The latch 0, made of spring metal, can

be formed and fitted in cutting and shaping dies, and attached to itsplate by the cast-rivet stud, herein described, and thus the lock may becompleted Without requiring any mechanical fitting or adjustment, exceptat the points where the latch and keeper are to bein contact.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The recessed plate A provided with a guide andguard, a, and the latch, which vibrates in a line at right angles to theface-line of the plate, in combination with the bodyplate B, which isprovided with the recess 1) and the keeper 9, arranged so that an eye inthe latch may engage therewith and be disengaged therefrom by means of akey, substantially as shown and described.

2. The longitudinally curved latch, composed of spring metal, incombination with the lock-case, and arranged so that its free end willengage with the coincident bearingsurfaces on the plate when subjectedto undue strain, substantially as described.

THOMAS L. RIVERS.

Witnesses F. A. J OHNSON, I. H. WARD.

